Zeus
Zeus is the Greek god of the skies and the King of Olympus. Mythology Birth and Upbringing Zeus was the sixth child of the titans Kronos and Rhea. Because Kronos had heard a prophecy that his children would overthrow him, he devoured them all right after they were born. Gaea, angered with Kronos for not keeping his promise to release her eldest children from their prison, aided Rhea in making a plan to keep her last baby safe. As soon as Rhea gave birth she left her baby, Zeus, in a cave where he was cared for by nymphs that would clash their swords and sheilds so that Kronos wouldn't hear his cries and the goat Amaltheia. Rhea covered a rock in blankets and Kronos swallowed the rock, thinking it was his last son. Zeus grew up quickly, as all gods do and when he was fully grown he decided which goddess to take as his bride. First Marriage Zeus chose Metis as his bride. Metis was the titan goddess of prudence so she would give him advice which would help him overthrow his father. Metis aided Zeus by tricking Kronos into drinking a mixture of wine and mustard which made him vomit up his five eldest children who all escaped and went to Zeus. Titanomachy Zeus traveled to the prison where Gaea's eldest children were being kept. He released them and the Cyclopes made Kronos' three sons very powerful weapons. Zeus was given his lightning bolt, Poseidon was given his trident which could shake the earth, and Hades was given his Helm of Darkness which could make the wearer invisible. With these new weapons, the three gods defeated the titans and imprisoned the six sons of Gaea and Ouranos in Tartarus. Second Marriage Sometime after the war, Zeus heard a prophecy that his wife Metis would bear him a son that would overthrow him. Not wanting to have the same fate as his father had, Zeus consumed Metis whole. Zeus then chose his sister, Hera, to be his new wife. Hera declined his advances so Zeus devised a plan to force her to marry him. He created a thunderstorm and turned himself into a cuckoo bird. Zeus flew into the arms of Hera and she cradled him thinking he was a bird trapped in a storm. Zeus then reverted back to his normal form and Hera was so humiliated that she agreed to marry Zeus. Birth of Athena Since Metis is immortal, she didn't die after being consumed by Zeus. Instead, she stayed within his mind giving him advice and wisdom. However, Metis did bear Zeus a child. One day, Zeus had a splitting head ache and his screams could be heard all through Olympus. Hephaestus split Zeus' head open with an axe and Athena, fully grown and dressed in full-body armor sprang out. Battle with Typhon Gaea eventually became angry with Zeus for keeping her six titan sons imprisoned. Since her first husband had been castrated, she took a new husband, Tartarus. With him, she sired Typhon a monstrous creature that was made to attack the gods. Typhon almost succeeded in defeating the gods but he was struck down by Zeus' lightning bolt and was buried under a mountain. Typhon had already mated with Echidna and produced an awful brood of monstrous children. Zeus allowed these monsters to live as a challenge to future heroes. Battle with the Gigantes Gaea sired one last brood of children, this time with the blood of Ouranos that had fallen upon the earth. The Gigantes waged war on the gods but were defeated one-by-one until all but a few were dead. Abode Zeus is most prominantly the god of the skies, thunder, and lightning. He wields the lightning bolt that allows him to create lightning from his palace of Olympus. Zeus is also the god of weather, as he is able to create rain from a pelt that he sits on upon his throne in Olympus. Not only is Zeus the god of the skies but he is the god of honor, justice, law, order, and fate as well. He is the protector of oaths and the punisher of those that lie. His attribute include an eagle, a wolf, the oak tree, a royal scepter, lightning, and Aegis. Family *'Father:' Kronos *'Mother:' Rhea *'First Wife:' Metis *'Second Wife:' Hera *'Children:' Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Dionysus, Hebe, Hephaestus, Heracles, Hermes, Persephone, the Muses, or See All Notes *In Roman Mythology, Zeus is known as Jupiter. Category:Deities Category:Greek Mythology Category:Males Category:Gods Category:Olympians Category:Children of Kronos Category:Children of Rhea